Shattered
by Kaila.Nicole
Summary: My hand found Max’s and I held on tightly to her, an uneasy feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach. 'Actually, you remind me more of Romeo & Juliet,' An odd, thickly accented voice announced, yanking Max back into the submarine." Based off of "MAX".
1. Shattered

**AN: This story has **_**some**_** spoilers for the new book, so if you haven't read it, I suggest not reading this. **

**Although, if you do read this, I don't think it would spoil the book for you. It's your choice, but you certainly won't understand various things. **

**Also, we're going to pretend those giant fish that (spoiler) helped break the glass don't exist and Dr. Martinez wasn't inside Chu's facility, all right?**

**Disclaimer: I like blueberries. I like concerts. I like imagining Fang shirtless. I don't own Maximum Ride. **

**Which one does not belong, children? **

Truth be told, the submarine sirens were eating at my nerves. I needed to hear, damn it, and those stupid wails kept going on and on _and on_. Captain Perry was shouting orders to the various members of the crew that were in the immediate area.

"I want Sector Five to clear those… robot things off my sub! _Now_!" Perry ordered and then turned to the Flock, John Abate, and Brigid, "If my men can't take down those robots, we'll all drown."

"But we are this close to the Chu Corporations building!" John exclaimed, motioning to the scope, which showed the submarine about two hundred feet away from the underwater facility. Captain Perry sighed, shrugging his shoulders at John and the rest of us.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Abate, but like I said before, the crew and my safety come first, before any old Chinese psycho fisherman." Gazzy bit back a laugh at the new name for Mr. Chu. The hull was silent for a moment, everyone's brains working overtime as running footsteps slammed hard against the metal floor outside the doorway. I noticed Max's facial expression flicker for an instant and I pressed down the smile that was threatening to unfold. Of course Max would have a plan.

"What about the _Triton_? That little mini-sub you have attached to the bottom of this submarine? Couldn't we cram some of the crew and all of us in there?" Captain Perry thought this over for a moment, before his face scrunched up, apparently finding a flaw in Max's scheme.

"What about my other men? There are over one hundred of us on here. What will they do?"

"Don't you have oxygen tanks for everyone on board?" Nudge reminded the older gentleman. We all watched his jaw lock, nodding shortly, quickly, before stepping out into the hallway and barking another round of orders to the crew. I glanced over at Max, lifting one of the corners of my mouth, and she beamed back. My brain shorted out, much like it did when we had kissed earlier in the day…

Max stood next to me on the pier, overlooking the waves crashing upon the slimy poles. Truth be told, it wasn't as romantic when you thought about it, but I pushed those thoughts aside. Max was here, I was here, and my arm was tight around her. The submarine had docked next to a navy battleship, U.S.S. Minnesota, and Captain Perry had allowed us a few hours to explore the famous island of Hawaii. Off on the horizon, I could barely make out the silhouette of a sailboat and a group of seagulls, heading east. My gaze shifted back over to Max, who must have felt my stare, and glanced up at me with those brown, russet eyes.

"Enjoying the view?" She grinned and I gave her an I-could-care-less look, which gained me a new bruise on my arm that was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Is this what they call 'tough love'?" I smirked as she rolled her eyes at me.

"Oh, shut up and enjoy the sunset," There was an unnatural pause, and I waited for her to continue with whatever witty remark she was going to- "And keep those cheesy romantic lines to yourself."

See? I know her all too well. I followed her orders, though, and made myself comfortable next to her, leaning against the railing of the boardwalk. The sunset seemed to be fast-forwarding itself and suddenly we were cast in the glow of the tiki-torches that littered the boardwalk.

"Ready to go back and fight crime, my lady?" Max sighed, knowing that my amorous jabs wouldn't end. Trust me, Iggy had filled me with enough of them, when I told him about Max and I kissing one time. That was when she ran, when I thought she hated me with every fiber of her being, and I had waited patiently for the supposed hatred to dissipate, before finally taking the plunge.

"Fang, I swear, you and your-" Her retort was cut short as I planted my lips on her sweet ones. My hands floated up to the back of her neck, pressing her softly against me. Time was of no essence as she slid her arms around my neck, tugging me closer. I backed her onto the railing, limiting the space between us even more. Our kisses slowed, each one savoring the last. With what senses I had left, the ones that weren't surrounded around Max, I could detect the faded roar of the ocean waves. Rolling in and out, in and out they came, tasting the soil of champions, before retreating home.

I broke the last kiss, my eyes reverently searching hers.

"Max?" Her name came out hoarse. Oxygen was of no essence, either.

"Yes?" Her brown eyes flickered upon mine, watching my face intently, waiting… waiting. At first, I didn't think I was going to be able to say it. My voice was somewhere in there, I knew, but every time I tried to speak, it would roll in and out, in and out, before retreating home again.

"I lo-"

"Fang, snap out of it!" Max cried, shaking my body feverently as the rest of the Flock rushed out of the hull.

"Wha? What's going on?" I barely managed before Max was shoving me out of the door.

"Those robots are ripping off parts of the sub," Her eyes were whirling this way and that, darting off to the side, then back to me, "If we don't get off here quickly, we'll drown or smash into the building below us." My expression remained the way it always is, stoic and rigid, but truthfully, my heart was pounding inside my chest. Max and I trailed Captain Perry, John, and the Flock closely. I think Brigid was going up with the crew in scuba gear. The robots outside rattled the sub, making walking seem like a dangerous task. Our shoulders slammed into the metal walls, our ears rang from the sirens and loud banging noises occurring from the exterior, and our bodies dripped from the water sifting in from cracks in the sub's outer shell. Finally, finally, we reached the chamber that led to Triton, the bright yellow submarine equipped to hold a maximum of thirty people. The crew filed in first, along with the captain, then John, and the Flock started on in. My hand found Max's and I held on tightly to her, an uneasy feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach. Gazzy hopped in, eager to start pushing buttons, and I could hear Max's voice from my right, reminding- threatening- him to not touch anything.

"This reminds me of Titanic!" Nudge cooed, glancing at Max and I holding hands, before slipping into the submarine behind Gazzy.

"Do we really resemble Jack and Rose? Why do I find no comfort in that?" Max laughed and shoved me in after Iggy and Angel.

"Just no spitting on the sexy, rich guy, all right, Max? I would rather not have anything from your mouth ruining this perfect face," Ig smirked and I punched him in the chest, enjoying the satisfaction it brought me. Max rolled her eyes- one of her favorite bodily functions, apparently- and took a step into the Triton.

"Actually, you remind me more of Romeo and Juliet," An odd, thickly accented voice announced, and it's owner yanked Max back into the submarine. Before I could even react, Mr. Chu, the leader in all the pollution going on under the sea, had sealed the air-lock chamber's door shut, and locked it with a clank.

"MAX!" Nudge and Angel shrieked from behind me as I struggled to yank the door back open.

No, no, NO! This can't be happening, this can't be happening…

Unfortunately, the only way to engage the Triton down was for someone to hit a button outside of the air-lock chamber. And I was betting that Mr. Chu wasn't going to play good cop, so to speak, and press the button for us once Max was inside. I needed a plan.

"Sadly, Max will be staying with me," Chu grinned disgustingly at her, and I felt my knuckles about to break as I cracked them.

"Touch her and you'll die!" I snapped, slamming my fist against the glass of the chamber. Even with my almost-Superman abilities, the glass barely budged. For the first time in my life, I felt the overwhelming feeling of… needing to cry. Chu cackled at my display of power that failed to achieve anything besides a throbbing wrist.

"Angel, zap his mind and make him press the button!" Iggy yelled as the submarine sank lower. The crew was desperately trying to maneuver the mini-sub away from a crowd of robots, produced by the raging psychopath that was holding my girlfriend.

"He's blocking me! I can't get in!" Angel sobbed, jumping down from Nudge's side to mine, "Max, no! You can't do this! Please come with us!" The uneasy feeling in my stomach grew to pure terror as I grabbed Angel's arm.

"What is she thinking?" Angel didn't meet my eyes, her lower lip quivering as she glared at the floor, "Angel, what's Max going to do?!" Hysteria littered the words pouring out of my mouth.

"She's going to send us away! Max is going to press the button and bring the sub down into Chu's building, so it will destroy everything!" Angel reeled again, facing Max, who averted my gaze as I pleaded to her with my eyes, "But you can't, Max! You can't!"

Angel fell to the floor, head in hands, and wept on Nudge's knee. I stood, facing Max through the glass, carefully watching as her fingers danced across the green button to let Triton go.

"Max… let me out. Let me in there with you," I spoke smoothly, not wanting her to have a knee-jerk reaction and hit the button. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Fang, I won't let you. You'll just switch our places and I can't do that."

"Why not?" I wailed, my voice shattering, "Why won't you let me save you, Max! Why are you doing this? To the Flock? To me?! Why the hell are you killing yourself for us?!" My breath came out in pants as I glared at her. She swallowed and wiped away her tears on the arm of her sleeve.

"I'm the leader, Fang. It's my duty."

"Fuck duty!" I swore and reared back, cracking my fist against the glass, "It's not your duty, Max! You don't have to do this. We can find another way… please," I collapsed onto my knees, tears making trails down my face, "Please don't do this…"

"I'm sorry, Fang. I'm so sorry," Her brown eyes flickered to the Flock and the rest of the crew. Even the toughest of the tough, the Navy Seals, were crying. I knew it was coming. My fingers curled around a handle on the floor, bending and twisting it, until I shattered it altogether. The metallic flints dug into the walls, into my hand, where tiny drips of blood began seeping out onto the floor. Outside, the submarine was about fifty feet away from Chu's base, who was currently incapacitated on the floor thanks to Max.

"I love you," She whispered, her eyes deeply searching mine as I wept. How long had I waited for those words? Now I only wished that she didn't love me. It would make this parting so much easier, so much simpler if I didn't love her… if she didn't love me back.

"I love you, too, Max."

My hearing barely caught the slightest tap of the button as we floated away from her. I collapsed onto my side, my eyes glued to a sign, just below the door that read "We live, we die, cause you can't save every soul."

At my last moments of consciousness, I could recall listening to the main submarine's last moments, through a communicator that had been left on. One sailor had been left behind and was screaming in terror. The whole crew, including the Flock and I, watched as the sub sank lower and lower, finally crashing through the giant dome of Chu's facility. Starting at the bow, the submarine plunged into the fire and smoke, as the domino effect continued to the very tips of the propellers. Soon, I could see no more of what had held my Max. The submarine had vanished into the thick clouds of underwater smoke, debris flying past us as we made the trip to the surface; every beat my heart created reminded me that Max's would never beat again. I would never touch her, or hold her, or kiss her precious lips, or tell her I loved her. I would never hear her announce her love to me. Max's whole existence, her smile, her laugh, her kicks to the gut and her voice… they were just… gone.

Shattered.

Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on…

**AN: So… I'm not exactly sure I liked how this one turned out. It was kind of rushed and I kept changing around the storyline, so the beginning and middle are kind of different from what I had originally thought up. **

**There may be a sequel to this, so look out for it. Maybe I'll make it a happy ending after all, since I think this sad ending came so abruptly. **

**Well, review it and tell me if you like it. **

**Song: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. Hopefully, you already knew that though. Haha. **


	2. Mended

AN: Here is the sequel to the first chapter, so consider this story a two-shot. I'm sorry for taking so long to put this up. I've had it written out since at least last Wednesday, but I just never found the time, especially with my huge AP English test coming up.

**:) But fear not. It is here! **

**As always, read and review, please. I would like to know what you thought of it, good or bad. **

_Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up  
I need your loving hands to come and pick me up  
And every night I miss you  
I can just look up  
And know the stars are  
Holdin' you tonight…_

I sat alone on the edge of the pier. The water was crystal clear below me, hinted here and there with large seashells and coral that waved in the underwater breeze. In my hand was a simple sand dollar, one that I had found on my way to this spot. If I looked to my right, I could see the place where Max and I had shared our kiss. The place I enjoyed what I knew now as our last time alone. The place I told her I loved her for the first time. But did I look there? No. Keeping my head forward helped me to not think about her… as much.

The calendar at Dr. John Abate's house, where the Flock was staying temporarily, informed me every morning that of just how long Max had been gone.

Eight days. Eight days, four hours, and thirty-two minutes, to be exact. I'm not sure why I kept up with the numbers. All they did was remind me again and again that it was too late. Too late to bring her back. Too late to change what happened. Too late for my heart to mend itself.

The sunk sank lower into the water in front of me, the bottom half disappearing, ready to move on from this day. In the corner of my eye, I can see the little brown sandpiper birds scuttle across the wet sand, seeking bright-shelled coquina. I watch them for a while as they make zigzags, racing away from incoming waves. Life is like that, I think. We zigzag along and try to avoid the water, but it catches us anyway sometimes.

The sand dollar in my hand is as smooth as cool marble on the top, with rough, cracked rides underneath. The color is too white for my eyes, like the tint of an angel's wings. Or maybe it's not too strong of a color; maybe it's the fact that sleep has become a foreign sensation to me. On the first night, I stayed up on the deck of U.S.S. Minnesota and watched the skyline for thirteen hours straight. The third night was much worse, since we were forced to travel inland, back to California. Dr. Abate slipped me some medication before we left, so I collapsed and had no choice in this matter. By the sixth night, I was a lifeless zombie, confirmed by Nudge after I decline a game of Go Fish. Truthfully, I should have been with the Flock when they tossed those roses and cork bottles out to sea. Brigid had handed me one of the bottles, with a piece of paper and a pen.

"Write to Max. It will make you feel better," She told me as she left my makeshift room I shared with Gazzy and Iggy. Dr. Abate certainly didn't have the largest house in Palm Beach, California.

Personally, I wanted to jump up and inform Brigid just where she could shove the bottle to "make me feel better." In the end, I smashed it against the wall and snapped the pen in half.

On the dock, I glanced down at my fingertips and palms still stained with faded black blotches. The marks contrasted with the white of the shell in my hands. And without another thought about black or white or death or Max, I tossed the shell out into the air, a short breath escaping me as I did so. The object flipped a couple of times before landing flat onto the ocean. Salty water soon flooded the tiny holes near the center, bringing the sand dollar down to the sandy bottom. It rested, finally, near a group of tiny blue fish that scattered, creating a cloud of sand and dust. Even though I couldn't touch it or make it out clearly with my eyes, I knew it was there.

A flash of light on the horizon caught my senses and I tore my eyes away from the ocean bottom to the sunset. Near the middle, a black dot rose up from the water, settling itself right in my line of vision, the sun nearly swallowing the speck up. I grabbed the railing and pulled myself to an upright position, never taking my eyes off that speck. It floated there, right on the horizon, growing closer, closer as my heart pounded faster, faster. After a few moments, the speck began to take shape and finally I could make out white wings, flapping quickly and silently. The sun was seconds away from falling and the winged creature seemed to fly quicker, trying to beat the bright orange star.

The sky tinted darker, the sun dipped lower, and the angel flew harder. With a burst of light, the angel crash-landed into my arms, the sun disappeared along the edge of the world, casting everything in darkness. Max pulled back from my arms, tears trailing down her face. A sob escaped my throat and I tightened my grip on her, reminding myself to never let her out of my touch again.

"How?" My voice cracked and if I had cared, it sounded like a five year-old that had chewed on sandpaper.

"I- I was able to swim out of the hatch before the submarine blew up. A piece of debris must have hit me because the next thing I knew I was on a beach off Hawaii. You guys were gone, so I headed here and here you are and- and I love you so much," Max wept into my palm, her tears hitting my warm skin.

"Oh, God, Max. I can't believe this," I smoothed the hair away from her face and cupped her chin in one hand, "I can't believe you're back. Oh, God, I love you too." Our breathing finally slowed to where we could hear the waves rolling in and out, in and out. These waves had traveled so long and so hard to reach this point. But once they hit land, it seemed as if it had all ended in vain. As if whatever hardships they had gone through to reach this beach weren't enough. Then I remember the way the tide rolls back in, sending the wave on another new adventure, to reach another place and another beach. And then I knew that in the end, I shouldn't give up.

I leaned forward, kissing Max hard on her lips, her fingers kneading softly into my hair. We broke apart, her head lying on my shoulder as she whispered sweet nothings into my ear that I would cherish more than ever now. From our place on the pier, the lights on the bay couldn't reach us.

The stars were our guides, the only lights that shone upon us, bouncing off of the water. As the waves churned onward, the reflections of the stars broke apart, shattering before the wave passed and the stars were repaired and back together again, just like Max and I.

Mended.

_Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up  
I need your loving hands to come and pick me up  
And every night I miss you  
I can just look up  
And know the stars are  
Holdin' you tonight…_

**AN: Sadly, this chapter is only three pages long. In my notebook, it seemed so much longer, so I'm truly disappointed. But maybe three pages are good enough. I'm not sure I could string out some more romanticesque without it being horribly tacky and confusing. **

**Song: Tonight by FM Static. **


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